Braves Trade Gwinnett's Francoeur To Marlins

ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Braves on Wednesday traded Gwinnett County native Jeff Francoeur, ending the outfielder's comeback season with his hometown squad.

The Braves dealt Francoeur to the Miami Marlins in a three-way deal.

The Braves acquired minor-league infielder Dylan Moore from the Texas Rangers and minor-league catcher Matt Foley from the Marlins.

In addition to sending Francoeur and cash to the Marlins, the Braves sent a slot in the Major League international bonus pool draft to the Rangers.

Francoeur, who began his career with the Braves, returned this season after signing a minor league contract with the team in February.

The 32 year old hit .249 (64-for-257) with seven home runs and 33 RBI in 99 games with the Braves.

Francoeur was drafted in the first round by the Braves in 2002 and made his debut in the big leagues in 2005, homering in his Major League debut. He played with the Braves through 2009.

His hot start subjected him to a huge amount of hype. A month into his Major League career, he was dubbed “The Natural” on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

He hit 14 homers in 70 games his rookie year and followed that campaign up with a 29-home run season in 2006. He won a Gold Glove in 2007, batting .293.

But, from there, he slumped. He was traded to the Mets in 2009 and, after that, bounced to the Rangers, Royals, Giants, Padres and Phillies.

Last season, he batted a solid .258 with 13 home runs for the Phils, setting up a return to Atlanta.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Duhr via Wikimedia Commons